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SAMs club led issue

zdech123

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Nov 20, 2013
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SW Ohio
I bought 3 of the SAMs clubs led 4 ft lights and they were working great. One of them started to flicker a few weeks ago right when I turned it on but after a while it was fine. I didn't have time to mess with it so I was fine with it. Now it will not come on at all. It seems as if some of the led's light up very dimly and some do not light at all. I hard wired all 3 into one switch and the other 2 are fine.
Since I hard wired them I can't take it back to SAMs. I am decently handy and know DC electric a little. Is there anything I should check/replace, or is it cheaper to just take it down and buy a new one?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Showkey

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Hard wiring did not cause the failure.......take it back..........I am pretty sure yours are not the only failure.
 

nehog

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Hard wiring did not cause the failure.......take it back..........I am pretty sure yours are not the only failure.

No, he's saying he modified the light fixtures... Unless he can restore them to about the condition bought in, the don't have to accept any warranty claims. Also, technically the manufacturer is the place it should be returned to for a warranty repair.
 

cajunfirehawk

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This brings up a good question; when we buy fluorescent fixtures the only real failure point is the ballast and the bulbs which we don't deem as warranty after a period of time, but when these led fixtures fail prematurely and we cant take them back after an appropriate time, I imagine we all acknowledge that they are disposable...?
 
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zdech123

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What nehog said, I modified it so I can't take it back. I k ow that hard wiring it did not cause the issue but I changed it from its original intended use state so I am not even going to try and return it.
I'll either take it apart and attempt to fix or just toss it and buy another. Just wondering what the common fail parts are on these, if any.
 

Showkey

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So........you really think the person at the return desk at Sams knows a modified fixture from a watermelon ????? Or actually cares........
Many for these LED advertise a 5 year warranty. A receipt, proof of purchase and take it back.
At SAMs they can pull up your receipt with your membership card.
These fixtures are one step away from pure JUNK..........Sams see dozens come back week after week after week.
 
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Shiftless

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East Bay SFO
I think that like a lot of things, you only hear about the ones that go bad. People complain, and rightfully so, about ones that fail. Hardly anybody posts if nothing goes wrong.
I put in 5 of the FEIT shoplights for general lighting in my garage 6 months ago and have had zero issues. Just in case I have to return them someday, they are plugged into receptacles in the ceiling. All wired in line on a separate switch controlled circuit with GFCI.
 
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ard

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No, he's saying he modified the light fixtures... Unless he can restore them to about the condition bought in, the don't have to accept any warranty claims. Also, technically the manufacturer is the place it should be returned to for a warranty repair.

Technically that is not accurate. or MAY not be accurate.

The terms in the manufacturers written warranty will determine if hardwiring eliminates the warranty coverage.

I expect if it is a standard warranty it will say "we dont cover damage or failures caused by misuse or modification". Which is reasonable. Hard-wiring isnt abuse nor should it (done correctly) cause or contribute to the failure.

Every piece of **** I buy gets the warranty stapled to the receipt and tossed into a folder. Helpful.
 

cajunfirehawk

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So........you really think the person at the return desk at Sams knows a modified fixture from a watermelon ????? Or actually cares........
Many for these LED advertise a 5 year warranty. A receipt, proof of purchase and take it back.
At SAMs they can pull up your receipt with your membership card.
These fixtures are one step away from pure JUNK..........Sams see dozens come back week after week after week.
Wow, bitter much?
 
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zdech123

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I am not complaining or anything, stuff breaks. It's ok. Just wondering if there is a fix?

I am assuming that I should just trash it and buy another one?
 

Showkey

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Wow, bitter much?

Have you followed these Sams fixture........they have changed the brand name at least three times. There are many reports of dead on arrival and short service life.

Sample customer review from SAMs 3.3 out of 5 stars the Honeywell brand seems to do worse than Lights of America. LIghts of America has had multiple law suits over light output claims, warranty issues.

"What started out as a great improvement in lighting is fading to disappointment!!! Bought 4 of these for the garage and liked them so much got 6 more for the basement. Huge improvement over the fluorescents I was using. Now in the span of a couple months I have had to return one after another for a total of 3 that have failed. Now wondering how much higher the 30% failure rate may go.

✘ No, I do not recommend this product."
 
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My Old Tools

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I have 16 of the Feits in my shop, up over a year now. No failures. No fading. I have done strip LEDs for lighting cabinets and such. They just use a power supply that converts AC to DC at the appropriate voltage. Sounds like either your power supply failed, in which case you might be able to replace it or daisy chain off another fixture, or you have a simple lose connection.
 

James-W

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Feb 3, 2013
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Location
Southeastern Wisconsin
I guess whether it pays to try and get a warranty replacement depends on what you paid for the light fixture in the first place. I would try to return it and see what happens. They may just take it back and give you a new one.

If they give you a hassle about exchanging it and the purchase price wasn't all that much, I would forget about it and get another brand of LED fixture someplace else.
 

jtpfarm

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Mar 6, 2015
Messages
28
Have you followed these Sams fixture........they have changed the brand name at least three times. There are many reports of dead on arrival and short service life.

Sample customer review from SAMs 3.3 out of 5 stars the Honeywell brand seems to do worse than Lights of America. LIghts of America has had multiple law suits over light output claims, warranty issues.

"What started out as a great improvement in lighting is fading to disappointment!!! Bought 4 of these for the garage and liked them so much got 6 more for the basement. Huge improvement over the fluorescents I was using. Now in the span of a couple months I have had to return one after another for a total of 3 that have failed. Now wondering how much higher the 30% failure rate may go.

✘ No, I do not recommend this product."

The problem is its a big box store distributing lights from a lowest bid company. These places put out a bid request for X amount of lights a certain style and take the lowest bid. Once they get a bad name, they just change the name. Same for the majority of ebay/amazon stuff. The reason this works is because too many people look at price and nothing else. If something appears similar to another product and is cheaper, the cheaper gets purchased. The good reviews come after a few months for the ones that don't fail. Anyone can make a light that lasts 6 months. The true test comes after a few years.

I sell LEDs myself. I spent a little over a year testing and researching different lights before I found one that I would sell. Same goes when I add new products. I have discovered that there is a lot of junk being made. And a lot of tricks both legal and illegal used to sell them. Big box stores and these "lowest bid" companies know that most consumers wont fight very hard for warranty or service if there is an issue. They will come right back in the store and buy something else. With my products, if there is an issue, my view is that the customer comes first and should always be satisfied. IF something happens with my product, I will do everything possible to make it right, even if it has to come out of my pocket. After 3 years I have about a 1% failure rate. This is stuff you will not find from a big box store or many ebay sellers. But, the price reflects all of this, I wont be the cheapest on the block like sams, home depot, or ebay. This doesn't apply to just lighting, it goes for a good majority of merchandise.
 
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